Turf spawns a new world for Trixie Wac

CHICAGO - After 47 lengths worth of losses in the first two races of her career, the filly Trixie Wac made a wonderful discovery - turf.

The switch from brown to green made all the difference for Trixie Wac, who has raced six times on grass, winning twice and finishing second in another race. A three-length Churchill allowance win May 18 earned Trixie Wac a berth in the Grade 3 Regret a month later, but that level of competition was a bit too much for the filly, at least at this point.

But Sunday's Office Wife, a $65,000 overnight stakes for 3-year-old fillies at Arlington Park, should fit Trixie Wac perfectly. She faces a short field of only five rivals in the Office Wife, which is contested at 1 1/16 miles on turf.

Owned by John Franks and trained by Bobby Barnett, Trixie Wac will move to a higher level when she becomes more consistent. A strong maiden win at Fair Grounds last winter was followed by a fourth-place finish, and though the winner of that heat ran a strong race, the other two horses who finished in front of Trixie Wac probably don't have as much talent as she does. So, too, with her sixth-place finish in the Regret - Trixie Wac wasn't going to win, but it would have been encouraging to see her beat more than three horses.

The two main obstacles between Trixie Wac and another win are Attico and Transition Time. Making her first start for trainer Mike Stidham, Attico threaded her way through traffic to beat older horses in a July 14 turf allowance here. Transition Time, from Bill Mott's Midwest string, comes off a convincing allowance win July 12 at Ellis Park.

The others in the race are Bee My Honey, No Turbulence, and Premium Position.

A big price on horse with back class. How quickly they forget.

Twilite Tryst was among the best

3-year-old turf fillies on this circuit last year, and she even won the first start of her 4-year-old season, beating a decent allowance field at Hawthorne. But after one dull race, Twilite Tryst was nearly 23-1 here Thursday, completely forgotten by the bettors in a stakes-class turf allowance.

Under jockey Zoe Cadman, Twilite Tryst went from last to first while rallying into a moderate pace, winning Thursday's feature by 1 1/4 lengths. Impressively, Twilite Tryst sustained a strong run for nearly three furlongs.

"She just wouldn't relax the last time," said trainer Hugh Robertson. "She ran up on heels and was checking. She'd had six weeks between races, and maybe she was too fresh."

Twilite Tryst might run back here Aug. 16 in the Reluctant Guest Handicap, Robertson said, and will get a shot in graded stakes if she holds her form.